Fading autographs, what can I expect with this?

[AstroJake09]

Hi all,

So this is my dream card... I've kept my eye on it for nearly three years and finally have the opportunity to purchase it. I was ready to pull the trigger when I read a thread about fading autographs and in particular, black sharpie, and got turned away. My question is, being that the auto is black sharpie on a modern card (1998), if I keep this in a box and only show it a few times but keep it stored away outside of that, how long can I expect it to last? I don't want to sink $100+ dollars into something that will fade in 30-50+ years and be gone. I want to be able to give this to my future kids and keep it looking sharp. Looking for opinions. Thanks!

[Chris Counts]

I'm no expert, but I have black and blue Sharpie autographs on cards I've had since the 1970s, and they haven't faded at all. I also have a number of signed baseballs done in ink or fountain pen from the 30s through the 70s that are quite faded.

[AstroJake09]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

I'm no expert, but I have black and blue Sharpie autographs on cards I've had since the 1970s, and they haven't faded at all. I also have a number of signed baseballs done in ink or fountain pen from the 30s through the 70s that are quite faded.

I would feel more comfortable with a sharpie auto on a matte card (70s, 80s) as I think it would adhere better, but with a glossy card (90s, 00s) I feel the surface doesn't allow the sharpie ink to properly adhere to the card. These are just my assumptions and I'd like to know if I'm wrong and the sharpie auto will last on a glossy card. I've seen too many autos from the early 2000s and buybacks fade already though...

[AstroJake09]

Still looking for opinions on this one!

[packs]

I don't think there's a lot to worry about. Sharpie on cards is pretty safe unless there was an issue with the sharpie, which you would have likely noticed. A weak sharpie sig might be a candidate for fading but this signature is as bold as it gets.